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Sylmar, California
Two Blocks from Armando and Sylvia Pena's house
Leo and Rose Bartlett were very happily married now for fifteen years. Eleven years earlier they had built their neat ranch-style home, and Leo and Rose worked hard to keep it up. Rose enjoyed gardening and Leo was somewhat of a handy man around the house so they were happy working at it together. Leo worked as an air traffic controller at the Burbank Airport and made a good living. Rose was the artist in the family. She had a successful small arts and craft store where she taught classes in flower arranging, oil painting and macramé. Leo and Rose never had children, so like many childless couples they had dogs. They transferred all their affection to their two mutts. Buster was the older of the two, at seven years, a mix of German Shepard and Lab. Toots was a younger female, half Cocker Spaniel and half mutt. Buster was the smart one and Toots was the goofball, so they were fun to watch. Toots adored Buster and tried hard to emulate him. She usually hung all over him. He seemed to amusedly tolerate her. Both dogs were neutered so no problems of unwanted litters of pups, and neither had ever known any type of physical punishment. Leo and Rose instructed both dogs with firmness and love and the dogs responded in kind.
Like most dog owners, Leo and Rose knew the various barks their dogs made. The happy ones when Leo and Rose got back from an errand, the warning barks when the mail man delivered the mail, barking at the neighborhood kids that ran up and down the street.
Leo and Rose had just finished dinner. Leo was planning on reading the paper and Rose was looking at the TV Guide to see what was on the tube.
"Leo, hon, I think Buster wants to go outside."
Leo looked over at the back door and sure enough Buster was standing there waiting.
"Rose, do you ever wonder why that dog can bark at everything from his dinner to the mail man but when he needs to do his business he just stands there?"
Rose smiled and continued reading the evening's TV listings. Toots charged at the door realizing too late that she couldn't stop in time on the linoleum and slid into the door, bouncing off.
"Well, kid, when are you gonna learn?" Leo said while snickering. Toots was immediately embarrassed and Buster just stood there doing his best doggie grin. Leo opened the backdoor and then the screen door and both dogs charged out in the yard. He closed the screen door, leaving the backdoor open and returned to his seat. He picked up the paper again searching for the article he had been reading when he heard Buster's warning bark. Kind of a very deep "woof". Then Toots started her more shrill barking, a yap, yap, yap.
Rose looked over at Leo.
"Hey, sounds like more critters in the garden?"
eo sighed and stood up. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed his flashlight when all hell exploded in the yard. Suddenly, he heard snarling, yapping and then a sound he never heard before, Buster shrieking in terror! Now Buster was a good-sized dog, 85 pounds if he weighed an ounce. Leo jumped out on the back porch switching on the flashlight and stopped in horror. A young looking Hispanic man was holding Buster up with one hand, squeezing the dog's throat. Buster's legs kicked weakly. Toots, yapping almost incoherently, lunged at the man, clamping her teeth around his calf, trying to save her pack mate. He casually looked down and then kicked her mightily in the ribs, knocking her all the way across the yard.
Leo heard ribs break. Leo watched this in shock but when his little Toots was kicked aside like so much garbage a dull, red rage encompassed him. Dropping the flashlight Leo grabbed a shovel and charged screaming,
"You son-of-a-bitch!" Had Leo been playing baseball, the swing with his shovel would have knocked the ball down to Orange County. He hit this guy full in the face with one hell of a whack! The man dropped Buster, knocked to his buttocks. He ended up in a sitting position. Leo was going to swing again and finish this bastard off when through his rage he heard his wife screaming. He looked around at Rose, then back to the man at his feet, and through unbelieving eyes saw him start to rise. He gave another swing, again hitting him on the side of his head, knocking him down. He turned to Rose.
"Call 911 and get the sheriff out here!"
Rose continued to stare in horror.
"Rose! Call 911, damn it!"
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